Author's Note: Sailor Moon and all related characters are the property of Takeuchi Naoko, Toei Animation and DIC. So, please, don't sue me because I haven't any money. I do this strictly for entertainment purposes, not copyright infringement.
The Vengeance Factor
by Jeffrey C. Branch
Epilogue
Rating: PG-13
A terrible, heartrending sound, like the wail of a million lost souls erupted from the throat of Sailor Jupiter as she mourned the death of Sailor Venus. For the anguished Thunder Scout, it was like reliving the death of her parents, only this pain was a thousand times worse.
Sailor Moon, sobbing on the shoulder of Tuxedo Mask was inconsolable, as was Sailor Sirius, neither imagining that any their friends would actually die in battle. Sailor Mars, having seen Venus' death in her vision felt her heart shatter. She'd been helpless to help her friend, even worse, she felt the monstrous crush of guilt as she had been too afraid even to tell Venus about the horror she faced. Katrina, having climbed down into the crater was horrified to see her longtime friend dead.
Sailor Vulcan, the only one who hadn't succumbed to grief knelt by Jupiter and placed her fingertips on Venus' forehead. After several moments, she nodded at what she found.
"What are you doing?" Jupiter angrily demanded.
"Confirming something," Vulcan calmly replied. She then looked up at the others. "Everyone, form the circle. Sailor Moon, summon your scepter. We must act quickly before we lose Venus!"
"What do you mean 'before we lose Venus'? She's dead!" said a sorrowful Sailor Mercury.
"Not entirely. Only Venus' body is in death, but her mind is still active," said Vulcan, rising to her feet. "You, Mercury, of all people should know that the human brain can survive for a maximum of six minutes without the oxygen that the body provides. We have to use the healing power of the crystal to restore Mina's corporeal functions before brain death results. Then it will be too late. MOVE! The clock is ticking!"
"Please! Do what she says!" said a distraught Katrina. "If there's still a chance to save Mina, you must try!"
"All right, Scouts! Form up!" ordered Moon. With a thought, she summoned the Cosmic Moon Scepter while the others quickly formed the circle. Moon knew that she was too weak to use the crystal's healing power a second time as the tremendous strain would kill her, but with the others providing added power, she might just be able to pull of a miracle. "Let's do it! Mina's counting on us!"
With Katrina watching, the Scouts and Mask closed their eyes and concentrated. Almost instantly, their bodies glowed from the energy that built up inside them, drawing upon deep hidden resources. As Katrina shaded her eyes from the colorfully blinding glare, Moon, re-energized, drew upon the power of the crystal and pointed the scepter at Venus.
"Moon Healing....ACTIVATION!" she shouted.
Shining, silvery bright energy poured from the scepter and enveloped the ruined body of Venus. The Scouts and Mask, weakened from pain and fatigue put everything they had into the desperate attempt to restore their friend's life, the strain was monstrous, but they pressed on. Jupiter fought harder than everyone, fortified by her determination not to lose her best friend.
Come back to us, Mina, please, thought Jupiter, her face drawn tight from deep concentration. Come back to me. I need you, babe! I can't live without you!
After seconds which seemed like hours, Venus' terrible wounds and broken bones healed, and her charred and blackened skin returned to its normal pinkish hue. Moments later, the heroes could see their friend's chest slowly rise and fall. As the light faded, the heroes all smiled from relief, even the stoic Vulcan. Death had been beaten back, a miracle had been achieved.
Venus' eyes fluttered open and she stared up at everyone. Her lips spread in a weak smile. "Hi, guys. What's up? Did I miss anything?"
The heroes and Katrina erupted in cheers and cried for joy at seeing their friend alive and well. And no one was happier than Jupiter, sobbing like a baby as she crushed Venus in a bear hug and refused to let her go. And Venus, elated to be back, wouldn't let her partner go either.
Over the next three hours as the sun set, scores of emergency vehicles and rescue crews went to work putting out fires, shoring up damaged buildings, treating the injured and pulling the dead from the rubble of the battlefield. It was a dour and somber duty carried out in a silent, funereal atmosphere.
The Scouts and Mask, their powers restored by the Imperium Silver Crystal while helping Venus diligently worked alongside the rescue and repair crews. The heroes felt responsible for the carnage brought about by Duncan and wanted to atone in their own way for his rampage. Tokyo was their home and they wanted to help put her back together.
After the girls stopped to rest, Mars, her face lined from sorrow and guilt walked away from the group and leaned against the corner of a building. Vulcan, watching her, followed.
"You appear....distressed, Raye," Vulcan said softly to her teammate. "Do you wish to talk?"
"About what?" Mars snapped, not turning around. The Fire Scout didn't want Vulcan to see her crying.
"Your having seen Mina's death in a vision."
Mars whirled around, her wet eyes wide and her mouth agape from shock. "How did you know?"
"Something you humans would call, 'women's intuition'," Vulcan replied. "I sensed a growing unease within you ever since our first meeting with Katrina where we discussed Duncan. That led me to suspect you had a vision regarding our battle with him, and that Mina would perish since Duncan sought to kill her. And now, you are feeling remorseful over having withheld that information."
"Yeah, I am. I couldn't bring myself to tell her," said Mars, pulling a gloved forearm across her eyes. "I'll admit I don't always get along with Mina, but she's still my friend, and I was too damn gutless to reveal what I had seen. God, that hurts so much! I'm ashamed of myself for being such a stinking coward!"
Vulcan put a comforting arm around Mars' shoulders and drew her close. "There is no need to feel that way. In fact, I am of the opinion that you inadvertently made the right decision in concealing that knowledge."
"Right decision? What makes you say that?"
"The future is always in flux. And divination is hardly an exact science. Regardless of your past successes, there was no way to know if this vision would come true. If you revealed what you had seen, you would have frightened Mina, perhaps to the point where she would not have fought as hard as she did to stop Duncan because fear might have paralyzed her at the crucial moment. And this adventure would have had a more tragic ending instead."
Mars mulled over what Vulcan told her. "Maybe you're right. Still, I can't help feeling rotten for having hid this from Mina."
"A natural reaction. However, there are times when full disclosure can be more detrimental than beneficial. In any event, the crisis is over. As for your vision, I recommend we keep that as our little secret."
"Are you suggesting we lie? You've told us Vulcans don't do that."
Vulcan's eyes twinkled from a rare mischievousness. "That is true. What I am proposing however is not a lie, Raye. Simply an....omission."
Mars, the weight of guilt off her shoulders shook her head and giggled. "Slick. Y'know, Tal. Sometimes I think you're more human than you let on."
The Scout of Order, looking haughty, cocked an eyebrow. "I consider your statement highly insulting."
"Well, ladies, and gentleman, inquiring minds want to know: Is Duncan dead?" Katrina asked the assembled Scouts and Mask a few minutes later.
"In a way, yes," Vulcan replied. "As Mercury and I explained to everyone at police headquarters, Duncan had mutated into a creature of pure energy. And energy cannot be destroyed, only dispersed, which was what had happened here."
"But if Duncan couldn't be hurt, how did Venus take him out?" Junko wanted to know.
"Sailor Moon's healing ray must've returned him to human form just long enough for Venus to administer the deathblow," Mercury explained. "Duncan's only weakness was the tumor in his brain that was killing him. Given how his powers accelerated its growth, he wouldn't have lived through the night."
Hearing that, Moon sighed from remorse. "I still wish I could have saved him. Duncan needlessly threw his life away by fighting me."
"At least you tried, Sailor Moon. That's the important thing," said Mask in a comforting tone. "Duncan chose death over life. There was nothing you could have done to stop him. In an odd sense, Venus put him out of his misery."
Venus, nestled in Jupiter's arms, snorted. "Oh, really? Trust me, pal, I definitely wasn't doing him any favors!"
"Nor did you do us any with that crazy stunt you pulled!" Jupiter growled. "We're supposed to work together, you little idiot!"
"Yeah! There's no place for grandstanding on this team!" Sirius added, wagging a disapproving index finger at Venus.
"You can say that again! I could twist your head off for scaring us like you did!" said Mars.
"I'll second that!" a semi-angry Moon threw in, glaring at the Love Scout. "The next time you go off half-cocked like that, I'll fire your ass! Got that?"
"Yes, ma'am! Sheesh!" said Venus with a giggle, glad to know her friends still loved her, despite what she had done. She then turned to Vulcan and gave the alien Scout a warm smile. "I'm just glad that Sailor Vulcan knew what to do in order to save me. Thanks."
Vulcan nodded graciously. "It was the least I could do for a friend. Even one who took such an extraordinarily foolish gamble."
The Love Scout smiled and rolled her eyes. "Okay! Okay! I get the point!"
"Sailor Moon, I want to apologize for what I said to you earlier," said Katrina. "You stuck to your principles and did all you could to save Duncan. I can't help but admire you for that."
Moon shrugged. "Thanks. I wish I could have done more."
"You and your friends did enough to save thousands of people whom Duncan would have killed," Junko pointed out. "Even though I hate vigilantes, it's because of you that Tokyo's still standing. Thank you. Now get out of here before I change my mind and have you arrested for indecent exposure!"
The Scouts, noticing how their badly tattered uniforms were showing more flesh than they wanted blushed from embarrassment. Without saying a word, the heroines and Mask got up and left along with Katrina who was dying to get back to her hotel and take a long hot bath. Once they were gone, Junko turned and walked back to the devastated area. There was a lot of work for her and the scores of volunteers to do. But she looked forward to the challenge.
Haneda International Airport, four days later....
Two women chatted merrily with each other as they sat in a lounge near a departure gate at the British Airways terminal. The buzz throughout the airport concerned the catastrophe that decimated a portion of downtown Tokyo, one that would take months to recover from. The two women heard all the chatter, but put it out of their minds.
"I really appreciate your seeing me off, Mina," said Katrina, smartly dressed in the navy skirt suit she wore on the day Duncan chased her to into the abandoned office park.
"Hey! Anything for my oldest friend in the world!" said Mina, her smile as bright as the canary yellow sundress she wore. Holding Katrina's hand, she gave it an affectionate squeeze. "Despite the grim circumstances, it was really good to have had you're here."
Katrina nodded. Then her face darkened. "Same here. Still, this adventure came disturbingly close to ending on a tragic note."
"Tell me about it. Everyone's still chewing me out over that," said Mina. "And Lita was so furious, she wouldn't speak to me for two days."
"Then why did you take the risk?"
"Because it was the only way to stop Duncan. In the end, I had faith in my friends and knew they would bring me back. So, what'll happen to you after you get back home?"
"Well, to paraphrase that famous line from an old American sitcom: I've got a lot of splainin' to do," Katrina replied. "Interpol sent me here to bring back an escaped felon, but all I have to show for my trip is an incredibly outrageous story, one my superiors are simply not going to believe. Hell, I'm still having trouble believing it myself, and I was there."
"Will you get into any trouble?" a concerned Mina asked.
"Probably. But this won't be the first time I've been called on the carpet, and it sure won't be the last. Don't worry, love, I'll be fine. And you?"
Mina shrugged from resignation. "It's back to living a normal life. Or at least trying to until I have to help save the world again."
Katrina frowned, hearing the world weariness in Mina's voice, something she thought shouldn't be heard from the lips of a sixteen year old who had her entire life ahead of her. "I don't know whether to admire you for being so devoted to your duty, or feel sorry for you because of the dangers that duty requires you to face. Living on the edge as you and the girls do must be an incredible drain."
"You have no idea." Mina then smiled. "Like you said, don't worry, I'll be fine. As long as I have my friends to support me, I'll survive."
"Of that, I have no doubt. You're the strongest woman I've ever known." Katrina's expression then clouded. "There's just one more thing. What about Alan? Do you want me to tell him you're alive?"
That very question had been on Mina's mind ever since Katrina showed up in her living room a week ago. And it totured her daily. After several moments of silence, Mina responded with a slow shake of her head. "No. I think it'd be best if he doesn't know."
"Mina, he's a reporter, one of the best in London. Sooner or later, he's going to find out, even if it's by accident like I did."
"So what if he does? Will that change his opinion of me, other than being resentful like you were at first because I faked my death? Probably not. He still won't love me like I loved him. I don't need that anguish, Kat. I don't need him. Not anymore. I have someone else to fill that void in my life."
Katrina nodded. "I understand. You probably don't need to hear this from me, but I'll say it anyway: don't you dare let Lita go. She loves you a lot."
"I know. And I love her. She means everything to me." At that moment, an announcement came over the speaker regarding Katrina's flight. The two women stood, their expressions melancholy.
"Time to fly. It was really good to see you again, love," said the Briton, hugging Mina tight. "I'm going to miss you something awful."
"Same here, Kat," said Mina. When the women parted, tears were in their eyes. "Don't be a strangler. Email me when you can, okay?"
"Count on it. And that's 'stranger'. The next time I'm due for a vacation, I'll be sure to come back and visit." Katrina kissed Mina on her cheek. "So long, Mina. My dearest friend."
"Bye-bye. Take care of yourself."
Katrina walked to the boarding gate, after giving her ticket to the agent, she turned and waved enthusiastically to Mina before disappearing down the boarding ramp. Mina wiped her eyes as she waved back.
With a sigh, Mina turned away and left the gate. She felt good for having re-established her longtime friendship with Katrina and parting with her on good terms. When she left the terminal and exited onto the street, Mina was pleasantly surprised to see Lita leaning against a lamppost across the street. Lita waved when she saw the blonde.
Her heart beating faster at seeing Lita, Mina trotted across the street and walked up to her partner, and the duo clasped hands. For several moments, the girls said nothing as they were content to smile and stare deeply into each other's eyes.
"Hi, babe," Mina said in a throaty voice.
"Hi yourself, gorgeous," Lita replied. She stared up and down Mina's body, pleased with what she saw. "Wow! That dress looks great on you."
Mina blushed from the compliment. "This old thing? Please. Have you been here long?"
"About fifteen minutes, give or take. I would've come inside, but you know me and airports. Did you see Kat off?"
"Yup. It was really great to be with Kat again. I missed all the fun I had with her."
"Oh, sure. 'Fun' like what we had four days ago I can live without." Lita's expression turned serious. "When I think about what happened, how close I came to losing you, it turns my heart to ice. I'm still having nightmares about it. Feeling your life slip through my fingers, and I was powerless to save you. God! It just tears me apart!"
Mina stopped Lita from talking by placing an index finger on her lips. It tore at her to see the pain in Lita's eyes. "Hush, love. There's no need to dredge that up. It's over. Let's just put the past behind us and look forward to the future. More than anything, I want to share that future with you."
"Same here, babe. Same here." Lita said with a wide smile. She then became nervous, shifting her weight from one foot to the other. "Uh, Mina, I was wondering, if you're not doing anything tonight, would you, er, like to go out with me?"
Mina's face lit up from surprise. "Why, Lita! Are you asking me out on a date?"
"Yeah, most definitely," said Lita with a nod. "I thought we'd dress up and go to dinner at a restaurant I know near the University of Tokyo, then check out all the cute guys at the campus nightclubs. Interested?"
"Are you kidding? Of course I am!" Mina said excitedly. "Wow! Our first date! That's so cool! Maybe, if you're lucky, you'll find your Mr. Right."
"Hopefully. But I won't be disappointed if I don't." Lita paused to place a hand on Mina's cheek. "Boys may come and go in our lives, but our friendship will last forever. I love you, Mina Spencer. I love you so very much."
"And I love you, Lita Monroe. With all my heart." The girls then embraced, heedless of the masses of people around them. For the longest time, the girls enjoyed the intimacy that came from the feelings of purest friendship that filled their hearts and souls. In the end, being together, being best friends was what mattered most to them. That special bond, stronger than any force on earth was what shaped and defined their relationship.
After the girls broke the embrace, Mina smiled fondly at her partner. "So, what should I wear tonight? Something hot? I've got a sexy red leather miniskirt in my closet that I've just been dying to take on a test drive!"
Lita laughed out loud. "Over my dead body, you mankiller! I don't want you attracting all the guys and leaving me out in the cold!"
"Aww, shoot! You're no fun!" Mina then grinned mischievously. "Tell you what, honey. Because I'm such a warm and giving person, I'll throw you a bone. After all, I can only drive so many boys wild with my charms!"
"That's mighty white of you, blondie! But I've got my own way of getting guys to talk to me."
"Yeah! By threatening to beat them to a pulp if they don't!" joked Mina. Laughing like a hyena, Mina ran off. With a playful growl, Lita chased her best friend down the street.
THE END